It took me a little while to get into this book. Much like the Harry Potter series, the initial chapters set in the real world are somewhat tedious and the first introduction to the fantasy alternative world feels a bit rushed and confused. But once the reader arrives in Under-London proper, the story kicks into high gear and does a great job of balancing plot development, world building, & characters that are interesting without being overly trope-ish. Plus the pun game is fun as heck, even if it does pretty obviously telegraph current and future villains. I look forward to reading more of this series! Smart’s ability to craft a compelling world with interesting heroes has grown in leaps and bounds since her first full length novel (previously reviewed on this site). The character development and world building talent was always there, now she’s starting to nail the length and flow as well.